Cecilia Johansson, store manager of IKEA Goyang, poses in front of her company's logo Monday, as she talks about the company's diversity and inclusion policies. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Kim Ji-soo

Cecilia Johansson, store manager of IKEA Goyang, readily unwinds the strings holding the price tags of the stylish home furnishing products, as she waits to be photographed for this interview, Monday.

"It's because of the ventilation that this happens," Johansson said, explaining why the strings get twirled up. At Korea's second IKEA store, which covers a 52,199-square-meter plot of land in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Johansson watches attentively to see if anything else needs be done. At the store, all employees do whatever they can, such as pick up trash off the floor or anything else that would make the store better.

Johansson receives significant credit for opening IKEA's first store in Gwangmyeong and serving as the store manager from 2012 to 2016.

Then, she was tasked to open IKEA Goyang, which opened last October.

"The Gwangmyeong store was very successful, I think, because IKEA has brought something to the Korean market that did not exist before. The whole concept of bringing home furnishing at an affordable price, (I think) we brought something," she said. "Together with the growing interest in home furnishing ... we are for creating a better life for the many people," she said.

The Swedish home furnishing company's foray into the Korean market has been successful, despite initial concerns including how its presence would affect Korean furniture makers.

Johansson said IKEA added something to Korea's furniture landscape and constructive discussions with local furniture makers and the government helped. In 2017, the IKEA Gwangmyeong store saw 365 billion won ($343 million) in sales, up 6 percent over the previous year.

"Personally, I believe competition is good, as we see in the Olympic Games. Competition makes people better. In the long run, that is better for the consumers," she said.

Founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA is known for its affordable, modern ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories. The Goyang store, costing 300 billion won in construction, carries products including ones produced in collaboration with Danish furniture brand Hay."We recently did a survey of our visitors, and more than 91 percent said they wanted to return, meaning almost everyone wanted to visit (the store again)," she said.

The Gwangmyeong and Goyang stores are two of IKEA's 355 stores in 29 nations. The company plans to add four more stores in Korea by 2020, but has not yet revealed the locations.

IKEA Korea employs about 1,700 employees — 1,000 in the Gwangmyeong store and 700 in the Goyang store. As Korean society and the government move to grapple with a low birthrate, and work takes a toll on family life, interest in North European society and life has grown. Likewise, IKEA's focus on diversity and inclusion has been receiving attention.

Johansson discussed these issues at a Korean government seminar on gender equality last December. IKEA's approach is to have 1:1 gender representation in management positions.

At IKEA Goyang, the company tries to take that representation to all functions. "To that end, we've also recruited women as forklift drivers for Goyang," the company PR official said. IKEA Korea also offers 180 days of paid maternity and one-month paid paternity leave, as well as flexible working hours.

Johansson, 57, who has been in Korea for more than five years, noted the current discussions led by President Moon Jae-in's administration to create policies that seek to improve women's lives run parallel to the height of the women's liberation movement in Sweden in the 1970s and the resulting legislative actions. She also believes government-led discussions that aim to better people's lives also parallel IKEA's goals.

Opening the Goyang store means driving through IKEA's key corporate values. "IKEA is a Swedish firm, and therefore, its corporate culture is rooted in the Swedish values of equality, transparency, openness and democracy." This means the absence of hierarchy, instead making a company where everyone is a "coworker." Do the company's values conflict with hierarchal Korean society? Johansson said the company is clear about its values which link to its recruitment process.

Johansson, who started with IKEA Sweden in 1983, said she was lucky to have led the two stores in Korea. When people ask her what makes for a successful female leader, she said leadership is leadership.

"The question is whether you want to be a part of the solution or the problem, and I always want to be a part of the solution," she said. She also encourages women to volunteer for more leadership roles rather than waiting for opportunities.

"Personally, my strength lies in my energy, then courage and curiosity," she said. "As a leader, I like people, so I like to support their development."

Johansson said she joined IKEA right upon graduating from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, where she earned a bachelor's degree in international business administration. She started out on the administrative side, going back and forth between store management and other positions.

Her stint in Korea ends in October, and where she heads next remains a question.

Asked where Korea is headed, she replied, "I hope to see Korea unleash its potential, especially its female potential," she said.